Platform-buffer for railway passenger-cars.



T. L: MOKEBN- PLATFORM BUFFER FOB. RAILWAY PASSENGER CABS. APPLI QATIOE FILED we. 9, 190a.

Lmggfiga, Patented June 18, 1912.

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. T. L. MGKEEN. PLATFORM BUFFER FOR RAILWAY PASSENGER (JARS.

Patented June 18, 1912. I

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 9, 1909.

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Easton, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Platform-Buffers for Railway Passenger-Cars, of which the following is-a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to improvements in friction bufling devices for the platforms of railway passenger cars, and the primary object of the invention is to produce anefiicient friction platform buffer which is of compact construction adapting it to be located in a. hollow cast platform end sill of the dimensions ordinarily used, and which opposes only a light resistance to the initial 'movement of the buffer head necessary for coupling two cars, but gives a, great final resistance to supplement the bufiing action of the draft gear of the car.

Another object of the invention is tov produce a platform buffer of simple and com-z, paratively inexpensive construction, in which the usual center-supporting stem for the buffer plate operates the buffer wedge andalso serves to retain the parts of the buffer in place in the platform end sill.

In the accompanying drawings, .conslsting of two sheets: Figure l is a fragmentary sectional plan of a passenger car floor frame provided with a buffer-embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse section of the buffer in line 22, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a horizontal, section, on an enlarged scale, thereof. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal sectional elevation thereof.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the wedge blocks detached.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the car end sill, B the platform frame, C the platform end sill, and D the buffer head or plate of a railway passenger car. The platform end sill preferably consistsof a holldw casting provided at its middle portion with a buffer chamber a in which the friction bufling device is contained. The buffer plate or head D isprovided with the usual top plate al extending beneath the threshold plate (1 on the platform and is pivoted, as usual, to the outer ends of side and center supporting stems or rods d and d respectively, extending through. suitable openings in the platform end sill, the side stems passing through s ecmtaem 0: Letters 1mm. Patented June 18 1912. dppllcation'filed August 8., Serial No.- 511,880.

guides 11 on the platform frame and being provided with righting s rings d for keepmg the bufler head parallel with the platform end sill. The center stem d preferably has a rectangular outer portion terminating in a. rearwardly facing shoulder d for operating the bufler wedge, and a reduced inner or rear extension which .passes through a hole in the rear wall of the buffer chamber and, is provided with a nut and keg, orother securing device 02*, at its inner en Except as above noted, the parts thus far described may be of any usual or suitable construction.

E represents a wedge which is arranged to move longitudinally of the car in the buffer chamber 0 of the platform end sill.

' ing in the front wall of the platform end sill for the center buffer stem (1 and embrace the rectangular outer portion of the center stem, being provided at their inner sides with shoulders e, see Fig.5, against which the shoulder of the center stem abuts for shoving the wedge inwardly when the buffer head is moved inwardly in bufiing. The parts of the wedge are'provided at their inner ends with opposite inclined faces 6" which bear against and are adapted to slide on correspondingly inclined faces on friction blocks F which are arranged at opposite sides of the Wedge E and are movable bot-h inwardly and outwardly and laterally or crosswise of the car in the buffer chamber 0. The formation of the wedge in halves, as described, enables them to be made of steel forgings, which is an advanta e. Springs G G, arranged between the frlction blocks F and the end Walls of the buffer chamber 0, and a spring H, arranged in the buffer chamber in' rear of the friction blocks, press the friction blocks against the friction faces of the wedge. Each s ring G preferably consists of two sets 0 bowed spring plates or leaves arranged with their concave faces toward each other and their opposite convex faces bearing respectively against the outer faces of, the friction blocks and the end walls of the buffer chamber. Preferably a separating plate g, having opposite convex faces, is placed between the two sets of leaves of each spring G to prevent the springs from being strained in action sufliciently to injure them, and wear lOt plates 9" are providedfor the ends of the springs to bear against. The spring H is preferably a light coil spring surrounding the center stem 01 in a pocket in the rear part of the buffer chamber. The walls h of this pocket, together with a sleeve h surrounding the stem d inside of the spring, arrest the rearward movement of the friction blocks before the coil spring H can be driven solid. A washer =71? is preferably placed between the rear ends of the friction blocks and the adjacent end of the coil spring H.

When the buffer head D is moved inwardly in buffing wedge E inwardly and the wedge in turn pushes the friction blocks inwardly, compressing the coil spring H; The coil spring is so light compared with the leaf springs G that the friction blocks slide rearwardly on the leaf springs without spreadin until the washer if strikes and is arrested y the walls It of the spring pocket and the sleeve 72 This movement is sufficient for coupling the cars. The continued inward movement of the wedge spreads the friction blocks laterally and the strong leaf springs opposing this lateral movement of the friction blocks produce-a great frictional resistance to the inward movement of the wedge and buffer head. I

The leaf springs G, arranged as described, are preferable to coil springs because they have greater resisting capacity than coil springs of practicable size, and as the friction blocks bear centrally on their convex faces, the friction blocks will slide readily on the springs in the preliminary movement of the buffer, and shorter friction blocks can be used, which enables the necessary move,- ment of the blocks lengthwise of the car in a platform end sill of the ordinary width. The described springs also allow an extended lateral movement of the friction blocks and consequently permit the inclined faces of the wedge and friction blocks to be given suflicient pitch to insure the releasing of the wedge without. requiring a release spring for this purpose. The shouldered rectangular portion of the central buffer stem d prevents the wedge from escaping through the opening in the front Wall of the buifer chamber and this, without vadditional means, retains the friction devices in place in the platform end sill. The buffer head can, however, be readily detached and removed by removin the nuts or fastening devices for the bu er stems,

and access is then had to the friction devices, which can be removed from and replaced in the platform end sill.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a buffer head and a stationary part bufler chamber therein,

latform aving a the center. stem shoves the substantially as set forth.

of a wedge which is saidbufi'er head, friction blocks which are arranged at the opposite sides of said wedge and are movable both inwardly with said wedge and also laterally in said buffer chamber, springs in said buffer chamber at opposite sides of said friction blocks for opposing the lateral movement of the friction blocks, said springs being held from movement in the direction of movement of the wedge, and a spring in said buffer chamber which projects into the space between said first mentioned springs and holds the friction, blocks against said wedge and permits the inward, movement of said friction blocks, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a platform buffer head, and a platform end sill having a buffer chamber therein, of a wedge which is moved inwardly in said bufler chamber by said buffer head, friction blocks which are arranged on opposite sides of said wedge and are movable inwardly with said wedge and also laterally in said buffer chamber, bowed leaf springs arranged in said bufier. chamber lengthwise relative to the movement of the buffer head at opposite sides of said friction blocks for opposmg the lateral movement of the friction blocks, a coil spring which projects into the space between said first mentioned. springs in said buffer chamber and which holds said friction blocks against said wedge and permits the inward movement of the friction blocks, means for limiting the inward movement of the friction blocks, and means for holding the springs from movement in the 'direction ofmovement of said wedge, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a platform buffer head, and a platform end sill having a buffer chamber therein, of a wed e which is moved inwardly insaid buffer 0 amber by said. buffer head, friction blocks which are arranged on opposite sides of said wedge and are movable both inwardly and laterally in said buffer chamber, a spring in said buffer chamber in rear of said friction blocks which holds the friction blocks against said wedge, means for limiting the inward movement "of said friction blocks, and springs in said buffer chamber at opposite sides of said friction blocks for opposing the lateral movement. thereof, said last mentioned springs having greater resistance than said spring in rear of said friction blocks, whereby said friction blocks are first moved rearwardly against the action of said first mentioned spring and then laterally against the action of the springs at their pposite sides,

4. The combination with a platform buffer head, and a platform end sill having a buffer chamber, of a center stem for said bufferhead, a two-part wedge which embraces said stem and is provided with parts engaged by parts on said stem whereb said wedge is moved inwardly in. said uflz'er chamber by said stem, friction blocks which are arranged on opposite sides of said wed e and are movable inwardly and laterally m said bufier chamber, aspring which holds said friction blocks against said wedge and permits the inward movement of the friction blocks, means for limiting the inward movementof the friction blocks, and springs in said bufier chamber at opposite sides of said friction blocksfor'opposm the lateral movement of the friction bloc substantially as set forth. y

Witness my hand this 5th day of August, 1909. I

THOMAS Ii. McKEEN.

Witnessesz' C. B. HoRNnEcK, A. L. MoGm. 

